By Tanner Driscoll
Respect, responsibility, encouragement, pride. These are the four words that the OCHS boys swim team lives by during their season. From the beginning of November to the end of February, they work hard to achieve greatness in their sport. At the end of their season, they have a chance to race at the South Jersey Championship title for the SJ Public B division. The 2018-2019 season, in which the team did make it to the final, the ending score was 98-72, a win for Mainland’s team. The last time Ocean City won the title?… was in 1962.
This isn’t to say that the team hasn’t been decent since then. They’ve held steady their ground in the season, especially in the last three years, with an 8-3 win/loss record for all. However, the competition is stiff, with opponents like EHT, Mainland, and St. Augustine Prep facing Ocean City.
This year, the team has worked harder than they’ve ever before. Practices started on November 13th, only a day after tryouts finished. Since then, there’s been no rest. They swim Monday through Saturday, 3-5 on the weekdays and 7-9 on the weekend, not to mention the bi-weekly weight lifting practices from 6:20-7:20 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They also keep their minds and bodies healthy and relaxed with yoga classes once a week on Wednesdays, and a special trip to Jilly’s Arcade for a rare chance to unwind.